April 11, 2026 • 8 mins
Cyclone Vaianu has hit our shores and some regions are being hit particularly hard.
The East Coast has seen gusts of up to 130 kilometres an hour, thousands of homes in Northland and the Bay of Plenty are without power, and weather watches and warnings remain in place for the whole North Island and parts of the South Island.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks
be So Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Cyclone VANU has hit our shores in some regions are
being hit particularly hard. The East Coast has seen gusts
of up to one hundred and thirty kilometers in our
Thousands of homes in Northland in the Bay of Plenty
or without power, and weather watchers and warnings remain in
place for the whole North Island and parts of the
South Island. And Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell
(00:31):
is with me now.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Good afternoon, Yeah, afternoon, Tim.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Okay, what is the current state of play right now
and the areas of concern?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
So, current state of plant that was forecast by met
Service that saw the most intense part of the weather
front would hit around two o'clock and that was sort
of through Coromandel by a Plenty up round Tyraffity, Gisbon
down to the Hawk's Bay, and we are seeing that
unfold currently with increased rain and wind.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Is it as I mean, how do you predict these things?
But is it panning out on the sort of worse
side of the ledger or where we're at.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
No, So basically it is very hard to have a
perfect science around it. The met Service team do an
outstanding job for us. But what's happened is that the
center of the cyclone shifted slightly to the left of
the of the track, which means it took more to
the east, which means that we didn't quite get the
intensity of the weather that we thought we were going
to get in Northland and Auckland. That's a really good thing,
(01:30):
although obviously we have still got impacts there with flooding,
some roads closed and evacuations and also a bit of
some about fourteen hundred homes lost power in Northland that's
been restored at the moment. But where it's really going
to get intense is sort of through the Corimandel plenty
up around Tyrafity Gisbon and the Hawk's Bay, and we've
(01:51):
seeing that play out right now.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
What's the time period where we're really got to keep
our eyes on the ball here.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well, probably through to about sort of eight o'clock this evening.
It is moving fairly quickly. There will be some digital
so you've got the wind at the front of the
cyclone and then you've got some wind that comes up
behind it as well. That's not quite as strong, but
there will be some residual whether sort of through tool Monday.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Are you happy with preparedness and response because we were
talking about the scene in a few days in advance
with which is good.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yeah, very happy. So the whole emergency management system was
activated and people have been prepositioned. We've got make sure
that services are in the right place. You know, the
mayors go very early with their declarations and getting organized
right through from the civil defense teams, our first responders.
Of course, EWE and HAPU have an important role to play.
(02:44):
Rural trusts and rural groups and community the best response
to these events as whole society, and I say that
it has been simply outstanding the way that everyone is
prepared and got ready for this.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So you're happy that the average Kiwi has actually been
listening to the alerts and going, you know what, I
might just pack that.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Little go bag.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, they have been. It just appears like as kiwi's
we've always seen have operated with that she'll be right
mate attitude. But there's no room for complacency now with
these weather events. We saw the tragedy that unfolded at
the Mount and Welcome Bay, that they can. You know
that we can. We have to deal with slips, we
have to deal with surface flooding in this case, we
(03:23):
have to deal with significant swells that are coming in
as well. And we're high tide at about two o'clock.
Now there's a big risk around inundation around sort of
that bay, a plenty tyrafity, gismon Hawk's Bay area, So
you know, we just have to be vigilant. But the
you know, I sort of look at it tim when
I came when I became the Minister's sort of turn
a but years ago, and I received the report back
(03:45):
from Sageria Matter Pride. There's just been so much work
and change that's happened over the last two years, which
means that we are much better positioned and organized to
deal with these events.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
So you're happy with that.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
We've got people where we need them at the right
time at the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, absolutely, And I just came off a cour with
all our MEAs they all feel that they've got things
in hand. We've got our national director, John Price, that
we've activated the bunker down in Wellington, so they're monitoring
everything to make sure that we can surge more support
and assets and people into places that need it.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So you mentioned because of the tide, it's flooding right now.
Where are we at with wind because we've had some
red wind warnings, haven't we?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yeah, the red wind warnings are really up around that.
They have plenty. Tyrafi gives been down a sort of
Hawks Bay area. That's where were That's where we're expecting
to see the most intense weather from the cyclone, and
that is sort of plane out at the moment. So
we expected that everyone's prepared for it and we're sort
of right in the midst of it. Now.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Are the patterns for these things?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Have they sort of panned out as we anticipate because
we are aware that there have been areas that have
been punished and hit badly before and they'll be very
sensitive to it.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Are we seeing the same.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Sort of place as hit because rode to Ru seems
like a slightly unusual one, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, So it's just the tracking of the cyclone. So
the modeling shows that, yes, Rota is in the path
as well. Look, our scientists, our met service scientists and
teams there are quite simply outstanding. They work around the clock.
They're doing constant modeling. They're trying to provide us with
the best possible information we can have so we can
make informed decisions. It's not a perfect science, and it's
(05:19):
weather and it can change and move direction fairly quickly,
so you know that that is definitely that's why we
have regular updates to try and keep everyone across exactly
what is happening with us front and where.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
We're at with current power outages and anticipated ones. So
I guess you can't anticipate the outages, can you know?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
We had power outages in Northland. There were fourteen houses
that lost power up there. We had about five thousand
in the Bay of Plenty about two thousand, bit over
two thousand of those have already been restored. I've got
information coming through right now that the Poto Key is
having power outages. We expected that because with the window
obviously we get trees coming down which has a big
(05:56):
impact on power. So but everyone was prepared for that,
so you know, the utility companies will be moving as
quickly as they can to get that power.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
For people who are feeling that they are more on
the firing line with weather events at the moment, I
guess just stay tuned. To the radio and listened for
your civil events alerts.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah, so media, you guys are doing an outstanding job
and keeping information getting information to people. That's really helpful.
Of course, there's the similar defense websites, the met Service website,
you know, so just keep checking for updates. I've been
really impressed, like as kiwis in a society the best
response to these events as whole as society, and I
think that we're moving closer and closer to that with
(06:36):
every single one of these events.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Can you put something in context for me? It might
just be one particular thing that the.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Word of eight meter waves as that swells further out,
what are the waves going to be looking like on
shore for those predictions.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Well, that's so we've had reports. The report on the
met Service information is that we can have an increased
swell from eight meters through to eleven meters. Well, I've
had reports that over in Focatani they've had swells up
to twelve meters. That is quite simply that is the
size of the swell that's going to be hitting the
beaches in the coast. And of course with high tide
(07:08):
that's the real risk around inundation, which is high. Tide
is around two thirty, so we're watching that really closely
right now.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Okay, any particular areas or announcement anything you'd like to
get out there for any particular areas right now?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
No, I just think that you know, stay off the
roads if you can, urgent travel only obviously, stay out
of floodwaters. And if you feel like you need to move,
make the decision early, get it, get yourself organized, and
get yourself moved to safety before it gets dark, okay.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
And what will success look like when this is all over.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Of course, that we don't lose anyone, and that we
have mitigated property damage as much as we can so
that the strength of the response will always dictate the
strength of speed and the cost of the recovery. And
I just want to acknowledge everyone involved in our emergency
management system that has stood up immediately and is doing
(08:01):
the best they can to make sure that we mitigate
this as much as possible.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
And where you off to right now?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
So right now on my way to tell them a
bit an areat so I'll be here at a bit
three o'clock.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Okay, Hey, Mark, really appreciate your time, Thank you so much,
and thanking me on good stuff. Okay, take care, see
you bye bye.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
talks It'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks
be So Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Cyclone VANU has hit our shores in some regions are
being hit particularly hard. The East Coast has seen gusts
of up to one hundred and thirty kilometers in our
Thousands of homes in Northland in the Bay of Plenty
or without power, and weather watchers and warnings remain in
place for the whole North Island and parts of the
South Island. And Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell
(00:31):
is with me now.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Good afternoon, Yeah, afternoon, Tim.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Okay, what is the current state of play right now
and the areas of concern?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
So, current state of plant that was forecast by met
Service that saw the most intense part of the weather
front would hit around two o'clock and that was sort
of through Coromandel by a Plenty up round Tyraffity, Gisbon
down to the Hawk's Bay, and we are seeing that
unfold currently with increased rain and wind.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Is it as I mean, how do you predict these things?
But is it panning out on the sort of worse
side of the ledger or where we're at.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
No, So basically it is very hard to have a
perfect science around it. The met Service team do an
outstanding job for us. But what's happened is that the
center of the cyclone shifted slightly to the left of
the of the track, which means it took more to
the east, which means that we didn't quite get the
intensity of the weather that we thought we were going
to get in Northland and Auckland. That's a really good thing,
(01:30):
although obviously we have still got impacts there with flooding,
some roads closed and evacuations and also a bit of
some about fourteen hundred homes lost power in Northland that's
been restored at the moment. But where it's really going
to get intense is sort of through the Corimandel plenty
up around Tyrafity Gisbon and the Hawk's Bay, and we've
(01:51):
seeing that play out right now.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
What's the time period where we're really got to keep
our eyes on the ball here.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well, probably through to about sort of eight o'clock this evening.
It is moving fairly quickly. There will be some digital
so you've got the wind at the front of the
cyclone and then you've got some wind that comes up
behind it as well. That's not quite as strong, but
there will be some residual whether sort of through tool Monday.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Are you happy with preparedness and response because we were
talking about the scene in a few days in advance
with which is good.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yeah, very happy. So the whole emergency management system was
activated and people have been prepositioned. We've got make sure
that services are in the right place. You know, the
mayors go very early with their declarations and getting organized
right through from the civil defense teams, our first responders.
Of course, EWE and HAPU have an important role to play.
(02:44):
Rural trusts and rural groups and community the best response
to these events as whole society, and I say that
it has been simply outstanding the way that everyone is
prepared and got ready for this.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So you're happy that the average Kiwi has actually been
listening to the alerts and going, you know what, I
might just pack that.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Little go bag.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, they have been. It just appears like as kiwi's
we've always seen have operated with that she'll be right
mate attitude. But there's no room for complacency now with
these weather events. We saw the tragedy that unfolded at
the Mount and Welcome Bay, that they can. You know
that we can. We have to deal with slips, we
have to deal with surface flooding in this case, we
(03:23):
have to deal with significant swells that are coming in
as well. And we're high tide at about two o'clock.
Now there's a big risk around inundation around sort of
that bay, a plenty tyrafity, gismon Hawk's Bay area, So
you know, we just have to be vigilant. But the
you know, I sort of look at it tim when
I came when I became the Minister's sort of turn
a but years ago, and I received the report back
(03:45):
from Sageria Matter Pride. There's just been so much work
and change that's happened over the last two years, which
means that we are much better positioned and organized to
deal with these events.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
So you're happy with that.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
We've got people where we need them at the right
time at the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, absolutely, And I just came off a cour with
all our MEAs they all feel that they've got things
in hand. We've got our national director, John Price, that
we've activated the bunker down in Wellington, so they're monitoring
everything to make sure that we can surge more support
and assets and people into places that need it.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So you mentioned because of the tide, it's flooding right now.
Where are we at with wind because we've had some
red wind warnings, haven't we?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yeah, the red wind warnings are really up around that.
They have plenty. Tyrafi gives been down a sort of
Hawks Bay area. That's where were That's where we're expecting
to see the most intense weather from the cyclone, and
that is sort of plane out at the moment. So
we expected that everyone's prepared for it and we're sort
of right in the midst of it. Now.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Are the patterns for these things?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Have they sort of panned out as we anticipate because
we are aware that there have been areas that have
been punished and hit badly before and they'll be very
sensitive to it.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Are we seeing the same.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Sort of place as hit because rode to Ru seems
like a slightly unusual one, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, So it's just the tracking of the cyclone. So
the modeling shows that, yes, Rota is in the path
as well. Look, our scientists, our met service scientists and
teams there are quite simply outstanding. They work around the clock.
They're doing constant modeling. They're trying to provide us with
the best possible information we can have so we can
make informed decisions. It's not a perfect science, and it's
(05:19):
weather and it can change and move direction fairly quickly,
so you know that that is definitely that's why we
have regular updates to try and keep everyone across exactly
what is happening with us front and where.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
We're at with current power outages and anticipated ones. So
I guess you can't anticipate the outages, can you know?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
We had power outages in Northland. There were fourteen houses
that lost power up there. We had about five thousand
in the Bay of Plenty about two thousand, bit over
two thousand of those have already been restored. I've got
information coming through right now that the Poto Key is
having power outages. We expected that because with the window
obviously we get trees coming down which has a big
(05:56):
impact on power. So but everyone was prepared for that,
so you know, the utility companies will be moving as
quickly as they can to get that power.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
For people who are feeling that they are more on
the firing line with weather events at the moment, I
guess just stay tuned. To the radio and listened for
your civil events alerts.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah, so media, you guys are doing an outstanding job
and keeping information getting information to people. That's really helpful.
Of course, there's the similar defense websites, the met Service website,
you know, so just keep checking for updates. I've been
really impressed, like as kiwis in a society the best
response to these events as whole as society, and I
think that we're moving closer and closer to that with
(06:36):
every single one of these events.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Can you put something in context for me? It might
just be one particular thing that the.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Word of eight meter waves as that swells further out,
what are the waves going to be looking like on
shore for those predictions.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Well, that's so we've had reports. The report on the
met Service information is that we can have an increased
swell from eight meters through to eleven meters. Well, I've
had reports that over in Focatani they've had swells up
to twelve meters. That is quite simply that is the
size of the swell that's going to be hitting the
beaches in the coast. And of course with high tide
(07:08):
that's the real risk around inundation, which is high. Tide
is around two thirty, so we're watching that really closely
right now.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Okay, any particular areas or announcement anything you'd like to
get out there for any particular areas right now?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
No, I just think that you know, stay off the
roads if you can, urgent travel only obviously, stay out
of floodwaters. And if you feel like you need to move,
make the decision early, get it, get yourself organized, and
get yourself moved to safety before it gets dark, okay.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
And what will success look like when this is all over.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Of course, that we don't lose anyone, and that we
have mitigated property damage as much as we can so
that the strength of the response will always dictate the
strength of speed and the cost of the recovery. And
I just want to acknowledge everyone involved in our emergency
management system that has stood up immediately and is doing
(08:01):
the best they can to make sure that we mitigate
this as much as possible.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
And where you off to right now?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
So right now on my way to tell them a
bit an areat so I'll be here at a bit
three o'clock.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Okay, Hey, Mark, really appreciate your time, Thank you so much,
and thanking me on good stuff. Okay, take care, see
you bye bye.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
talks It'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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